


Wherever You Go, I'll Follow You

by highwaytothe7hells



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Friendship, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-02
Updated: 2013-03-05
Packaged: 2017-11-27 23:00:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/667433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/highwaytothe7hells/pseuds/highwaytothe7hells
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short story set a few years after Arya, Gendry and Hot Pie escaped Harrenhal. AU in which all the people in Arya's death list are already dead, so are her family members. She doesn't have a family to come back to anymore, and just wants to survive. Basically fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was a warm night. There was a singer staying at the inn that week, and he was singing a very enjoyable song. Gendry had been watching Arya the whole night, unable to look away from her. She was laughing, probably at some stupidity Hot Pie had just said, and Gendry couldn't hold back a smile.

She was wearing a dress that night, something she didn't do often. Actually he knew she hated dresses, but there were certain nights she decided to wear the one that the innkeeper's wife had given to her as a gift for her 15th name day. She looked gracious wearing it, and Gendry found himself struggling not to stare. But he was failing miserably.

Five years had passed since their escape from Harrenhal, and she was no longer that skinny child that could easily pretend she was a boy. She had grown into a beautiful young woman, and he often found himself staring at her, only averting his eyes when she occasionally looked back. But it was not until six months ago that he felt his heart lurch for her for the first time.

One day, Gendry was heading to the forge when he caught a glimpse of Arya. She was standing next to Rory, the older brother of one of the kids she used to teach sword fighting. She was holding down her wooden sword, and she was staring at Rory with confused eyes, as if trying to figure out what he was talking about – and he wouldn't stop talking.

Something in the way Rory was looking at Arya made Gendry feel something he had never felt before. A surge of anger aroused from nowhere and he stopped, clenching his fists and holding his breath, his eyes never leaving them.

Suddenly Rory leaned towards Arya, his intentions clear as day, and Gendry gasped and unconsciously stepped forward, but then stopped again. Arya had moved backwards quickly enough, so Rory was blinking stupidly, staring at her. In the next second, Arya was threatening him with her sword, which made his face go white, and he turned around and ran away from her.

Gendry let out a sigh of relief and resumed his way to the forge, smiling. But the whole scene would keep playing in his mind over and over again throughout that day and the days that followed, as it had stirred feelings that apparently wouldn't leave him anytime soon. He couldn't stop thinking about what Rory had tried to do, and he couldn't help feeling extremely annoyed by it.

Several days had passed, and he simply couldn't let that feeling go. Every time Rory was around, Gendry couldn't help scanning the place in search for Arya, as to make sure the annoying boy was far away enough from her. Rory often stared at her, and every time she found his gaze she would roll her eyes in disgust. And Gendry couldn't feel more pleased when that happened.

As the weeks went by, Rory seemed to have given up and started 'chasing' another girl, and Gendry felt a great relief. His anger towards the boy eventually faded away; but there was another feeling… and that one just refused to disappear.

Actually, that feeling seemed to grow each day, and he didn't know what to do about it. He tried to act the same way around her, teasing her as he always did, just to get a punch in his arm in response, but something in the way _she_ acted around him was slightly different. She still teased him too, and called him stupid sometimes, but not as much as she used to. He wondered if she had somehow noticed his feelings for her. He was suddenly afraid…

He had decided not to stare at her anymore, but it was getting increasingly hard, especially this night. She looked beyond gorgeous with that dress and her loose hair falling down her shoulders.

Then the singer started to sing a very sad song, and Gendry noticed when Arya's smile faded away, being replaced by a deep sadness. His heart ached at that sight. The next second, she was getting up and heading to the door, one hand reaching her face, and he was sure she was wiping a tear.

He couldn't stop himself from following her, and he found her outside, leaned against a nearby tree. As he approached her, he saw her wiping her tears quickly before looking at him.

"Arry, are you okay?", he asked softly.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said quickly, and he gave her a doubtful look.

"You were crying…", he said, reaching out a hand and touching her face gently.

He was positive she had shuddered a little when he touched her, and he quickly removed his hand. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel uncomfortable.

She stared at him for a while, and then looked down.

"Do you know what day is today?"

"No…"

She stared at the ground for a few more seconds, and then looked up at him.

"Today is Bran's name day. Or it would be, if he was alive…", she said calmly.

"That's why you're wearing a dress?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"How did you know?"

"I always wondered why you decided to wear it sometimes, and I had already noticed that every time you did it you looked sad. And now that you brought up your brother's name day… I thought…"

She smiled.

"It was my father's name day last time I wore it… But, Gendry, I'm impressed! When did you start getting smart?", she teased him, and he was sure that was her way to avoid crying again. He could see tears forming in her eyes again.

"I'm glad I could impress you, m'lady", he said, bowing mockingly at her.

She just punched him at the arm and laughed.

He laughed too and, without thinking, he reached a hand again, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She seemed to shudder again, but this time he didn't miss a flush coming across her cheeks.

"I… I think we should get back", she said, already moving away from him and towards the inn.

He just followed her, smiling, his heart fluttering inside his chest as he was certain he had caught a hint of nervousness in her voice.

He only hoped it was not just his imagination…


	2. Chapter 2

Arya awoke earlier than usual. She didn't feel like leaving the bed yet, though – not when Gendry was still sleeping... She moved slowly to lie on her side so that she could see him. He was sleeping peacefully on the other bed, and she knew she had at least 30 minutes to watch him before he woke up.

They shared a room at the inn since they and Hot Pie arrived there, a few years ago. Gendry and Arya had agreed to present themselves as siblings. She didn't like the idea at first, but he insisted that he would be able to protect her better this way. She didn't quite see the point, and she insisted that she didn't need his protection, but he was so stubborn that she eventually agreed. It would help her hide her identity after all. Also, they adopted the name 'Snow' instead of 'Waters', given that Gendry had been wanted in King's Landing, though they still didn't know why.

Gendry started working in a forge at the village, and Hot Pie started working in the inn's kitchens. Arya often tried to help in the kitchens as well, when she was not teaching sword fighting to the kids from the village.

Gendry always awoke first, and it was very rare for Arya to wake up and find him still in bed. Now she took the opportunity and watched him, since she was not able to do this openly when he was awake – not without letting him notice.

She sighed as her eyes wandered over his messed hair, his closed eyes, his slightly parted lips… and then his neck, his shoulders, his bare chest… She bit her lip as she remembered last night, when she left the inn and he followed her outside. She was so, so sad, memories of her brother filling her mind, and she couldn't bear listening to that song. She went outside, to the tree, and she was glad when she noticed Gendry had followed her. He didn't need to do much to calm her; just his presence was able to warm her heart, and she wondered if he had any idea of the feelings he stirred in her.

When she first realized what was going on with her, about three years ago, she tried to shove these feelings away, and she even started avoiding Gendry at some point, but it didn't work. She desperately wanted to remain as she was, she didn't want to have stupid feelings for any boy. She definitely didn't want to be like Sansa and her stupid songs…

But she eventually understood she was not like Sansa at all, and her feelings were not like the ones depicted in those songs. Sansa would never even _look_ at someone like Gendry, since he was nothing like the knights in shining armors from the songs. He was a smith, a lowborn, and a bastard. He was everything Sansa would never want.

But she was not Sansa. Gendry didn't have any proper education, and he couldn't read, but he was way better than any lord Arya had ever known in her life. He was good, loyal, a true friend… He was also very stubborn, and a bit stupid, but she didn't care. She found it annoying in the beginning, when she was younger, but, as the years went by, she started to find it endearing rather than annoying. He was definitely a good man. And now she was in love with him...

When he touched her face last night, she suddenly felt weak on her knees… She was always able to control herself in his presence, and she was always good in hiding her feelings, but last night she was feeling so sad, and so vulnerable, that she just couldn't make any effort to hide anything. And then she found herself shuddering at his touch, both times, and she was sure he felt it, because he immediately pulled his hand back the first time. The second time, when he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, she had moved away quickly, because she felt her face starting to burn and she didn't want him to notice it. She wasn't sure whether she had succeded or not, and she had no idea of what he might have thought…

She knew he was concerned, though. And she was truly impressed when he said that he had noticed her sadness every time she wore her dress. He was an amazing friend, always managing to make her laugh even when she was sad. He had done this other times, and she was so glad to have him around…

Suddenly he started stirring in his sleep, and Arya knew he was about to wake up. She closed her eyes quickly and pretended to be sleeping. She didn't want to be caught staring at him.

She could hear the sounds coming from his bed when he got into a sitting position, probably rubbing his eyes. And then the sounds stopped. He had gone still for some reason, and remained still for at least five good minutes. She wanted to open her eyes, but she had a feeling that, if she opened them, she would see him looking at her. And she would probably blush like an idiot.

No, she didn't open her eyes, and she would keep them closed until she felt it was… well, _safe_. After a couple more minutes, she heard him getting up from the bed and walking across the room, probably getting his clothes and wearing them. Arya fought the urge to open her eyes and watch him while he got dressed, but she managed to control herself.

Then, suddenly, she heard his steps getting closer to her bed, and she could feel clearly when he stopped by her side. He stood there for a few seconds before leaning down and planting a kiss on the top of her head. Her heart started beating impossibly fast, and she had a hard time trying to keep her breath steady. She didn't have to do this for too long though. As soon as he stood up again, he turned around and left the room.

Arya opened her eyes as soon as he closed the door and she gasped for air. Her face was on fire, and she was thanking the seven gods for having him leaving before he could see her face turning all red. She sat on the bed and immediately took her hand to the top of her head, still panting.

_What in the seven hells was that?_ , she thought, touching her hair in the very spot Gendry had kissed, as if trying to feel any trace of his lips there. Her heart was still racing, and she wondered what was the meaning of that kiss… Was he just being tender because he had seen her crying last night or… or…? Whatever had been the reason, the gesture itself had been very sweet…

She sighed, shaking her head, and decided she couldn't spend the whole morning wondering about the kiss. The only thing that worried her now was what kind of reaction she would have when she saw Gendry again…


	3. Chapter 3

"OUCH!''

Gendry cried out, having just hit his finger with the hammer.

_This is not working… Gods…_

He just couldn't concentrate. He had already let the hammer fall on the ground five times, two of them dangerously near to his feet, and it had been just a matter of time before he hurt himself. He was trying really hard, but concentrating in his work was proving to be an impossible task. All he could think about was the dream he had last night…

He dreamed with his conversation with Arya, by the tree… Well, it had started the same way, but the end had been completely different. When he tucked the strand of hair behind her ear and she tried to move away from him, he was quick enough to grab her hand and bring her close to him. She looked at him with wide eyes, her cheeks even more flushed, and he immediately leaned down to kiss her. She returned the kiss eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck and parting her lips so that he could sneak his tongue inside. Her lips were soft, warm and so sweet. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer to his body, and then… he woke up.

He had never felt so frustrated in his entire life. He sat on the bed feeling dizzy, his heart beating really fast, that warm feeling still lingering in his chest. He couldn't help looking at Arya, who was sleeping deeply on her bed. He stared at her for a while, thinking of how badly he wanted to kiss her now. Of course he already wanted to kiss her before, he'd been wanting this for months, but that dream… It had felt so real that he couldn't even imagine how he would be able to control himself around her from now on.

Eventually he stood up and got dressed, throwing longing looks at her in the process, and when he was ready to go, he just couldn't stop himself; he walked towards her bed and stood beside it for a couple seconds before leaning down and kissing the top of her head. Her scent immediately invaded his senses and he was suddenly feeling dizzy again, and then he stood up quickly and left the room, before he did something stupid.

He went downstairs, had his breakfast as fast as he could and headed to the forge, hoping that his work would help him clear his head. Well… it didn't.

Gendry had so many thoughts in his head… The main one was the dream, that had amplified his want for Arya to extreme levels. And then he started to ponder his possibilities. First of all, was there any possibility for him?

Arya had lost her entire family and now she was alone in the world… But she still had been raised in a castle, she had been a lord's daughter, she had been educated… She used to live a life he couldn't even start to imagine.

And what was he? He had been just an armorer's apprentice, a lowborn bastard who could barely remember his mother and had no idea who his father was. He knew he was hardly worthy of her…

But he also knew she didn't give a shit about those things. In despite of who he was, she had become his friend, and she had trusted him to keep her secret years ago, when they barely knew each other. She had seen in him something that made her feel safe, and she told him who she was, even knowing that it could cost her life if this secret reached the wrong ears.

She had never treated him differently, and she never looked at him like the highborn girls that often visited Tobho Mott's shop with their lord fathers did. They looked at him either with indifference or superiority – when they bothered to spare him a look, that is.

But Arya was not like that. She was different… He had never met a girl like her, and he knew there would never be another Arya. She was special, she was unique, and maybe… maybe he stood a chance with her. He just needed to figure out how he would know that.

* * *

Arya had spent the morning helping Hot Pie in the kitchens, and now it was almost lunch time.

"Did you see Gendry today?", she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Yes, but he barely said 'Good morning'. He broke his fast very quickly and ran to the forge."

"Maybe I should bring his lunch to him", Hannah said, approaching them. Hannah was the innkeeper's young sister, and the way her voice sounded unnerved Arya.

"Don't need to trouble yourself, Hannah, I'll go myself. I was going to the forge now anyway, I need to have a word with my brother", she lied, trying to hide her annoyance.

"Oh… okay then," Hannah said, sounding disappointed. She threw a pleading look at Hot Pie, and he nodded. And then she left the kitchen again. Of course Arya noticed it.

"What's going on?"

"She likes him."

"What are you talking about?", she asked, preparing Gendry's lunch box.

"Hannah. She likes Gendry. She asked me to talk to you."

"Talk to  _me_? Why?"

"She wants your help. But she was too shy to talk to you herself, so she asked me to. She wants to know how she can approach him", he said. "She seems to be a good girl. Will you talk to her?"

"Later," she said drily.

With that, she took the lunch box and stormed out of the kitchen. When she passed by the main hall, she glanced at Hannah, who was cleaning one of the tables. Hannah looked back to Arya and blushed, before turning to look at the table again.

Arya rolled her eyes and left the inn towards the forge.

_Seven hells, what am I supposed to do now?_

She was extremely annoyed. So Hannah liked Gendry and wanted her help. She couldn't even blame the girl, she thought they were siblings…

But what she was supposed to do now? She couldn't just "push" another girl into his arms when she had feelings for him herself. But she didn't have a choice either… How could she deny helping Hannah? What argument she could use? She was just Gendry's "sister" after all. She wasn't supposed to have anything against her "brother" being with someone.

 _Damn it_ …

And then there was something else...

Arya slowed her pace. She was almost reaching the forge now, but she was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice when she stopped.

She had just realized that this would happen eventually… Even if it wasn't Hannah, Gendry would find someone at some point. He was 22 now, and she had never seen him with anyone. She knew he would feel the need to find himself a wife, and…

Arya felt a pain in her chest and she refused to think any further about this. Then she remembered how he had been gentle with her last night, and she remembered the tender kiss he gave her that morning. She didn't know whether it was just a silly hope or not, but something inside her was telling her that maybe Gendry had feelings for her… Was that even possible? She was only a child when she knew him, and sometimes she got the impression that he still saw her as a child...

She resumed her way to the forge and found him hammering a horseshoe on the anvil. He seemed a bit clumsy, and she found it weird, because his movements were always very accurate.

"Gendry?"

He nearly jumped at her voice, and he let the hammer fall from his hands.

"OUCH!"

And this time it  _did_  hit his foot.

"Seven hells, Gendry, what's wrong with you?", she managed to ask in the middle of her laughing, approaching him.

"Gods, you startled me!", he said almost reprovingly as he knelt at one knee and started massaging his foot. "Ouch..."

"Sorry", she smiled, kneeling in front of him. "Is it hurting too much?"

He raised his head to look at her, and she felt some relief when his expression softened.

"I will survive," he smiled fondly, making her heart skip a beat. "I think I will just stop for a while before I get myself severely injured… I've already hit one finger today," he confessed.

"That's why you were all clumsy with the hammer?"

"Was I...?", he blushed.

"Yes," she said, giggling. "Well, just take a break now. I brought your lunch."

"Thank you…", he said, and kept staring at her.

She held his gaze, and she wondered if she should say something now… Or maybe he would say something. His expression was somewhat mysterious and she had no idea of what was going on in his mind. Or maybe she was only imagining things and he had nothing to say at all…

He kept staring at her though, and for a moment he seemed hypnotized or something. But she couldn't take it anymore and rose to her feet. He blinked and did the same, and his face seemed a bit reddened.

Arya handed him the lunch box and they went to the back of the forge, towards the back door. There was a large bench outside and they sat there.

Gendry started eating his lunch and Arya just watched him silently for a while.

"Hot Pie told me that Hannah likes you," she said suddenly, causing him to choke on his food.

He coughed desperately and she felt guilty. But she needed to bring the subject somehow. She needed to know his opinion about having a girl interested in him.

When he recovered, he turned to her, looking annoyed.

"Yes, I know…", he sighed.

"How? Did she tell you? Or it was Hot Pie?"

"None of them. I just… noticed. She's always staring at me and trying to talk to me, even though we have nearly nothing to talk about," he said with a shrugh.

"I see…", she said, staring at the trees in front of them.

After some minutes, Gendry finished his lunch. They stood there, silent for a while. And then Gendry spoke again.

"But I'm not interested in her," he said, bringing back the subject and sounding slightly nervous. Arya turned to look at him. "I mean, she's a nice girl, and very sweet, but… I'm just… not interested," he finished, his voice soft, and he looked at Arya.

He was staring at her again, his eyes unreadable, and once more she couldn't hold his gaze for too long. She looked back to the trees and sighed, trying to make her heartbeat slow down. She felt when he averted his eyes to the trees as well.

They went silent for a couple more minutes, and then this time she broke the silence.

"Gendry…"

"Hum?"

"What if you liked her?", she asked, and her voice was barely a whisper.

"What do you mean?"

"You said you're not interested in her, but some day… some day there will be someone. Have you never thought about, you know, having a family?", she finally asked, without looking at him.

"I have…" he said, and she felt his gaze back on her.

"What will happen then? When the time comes? Some day you'll get yourself a wife… and Hot Pie too. And you'll both leave me."

"That's what it's all about? You're afraid we'll leave you?"

Arya didn't answer.

"Have you ever thought that you could end up leaving us first? What if  _you_  found someone?"

"Seriously, Gendry, who in the Seven Kingdoms would want someone like me? I never imagined myself getting married and becoming someone's wife, to begin with… Unless I meet someone that accepts me how I am and doesn't expect me to be like any other stupid wife who does stupid housework and sews his stupid tunics... someone that doesn't try to change me, nor give me orders… Well, unless I meet someone like that, it's not going to happen. But I don't think I will… I don't think someone like that even exists," she finished, her eyes never leaving the trees.

Another silence.

And then Arya heard him taking a deep breath.

"You know...", his voice was low and smooth, "I would never try to change you, nor give you orders, nor make you do housework… I would never expect you to-… No… I would never  _want_ you to be any different from who you are now."

Arya felt her heart jump in her chest and she turned to Gendry with wide eyes. His gaze was the most loving one she had ever seen, and she felt her face heat up. She could barely breathe when his fingers touched her hand softly, causing a warm feeling to spread through her body, and her heart raced in anticipation. He moved closer to her on the bench and held her hand between his.

"Arya, I…"

"Arryyyyyyy!"

They both jumped and Arya turned around to see a tiny little boy running towards her. He was crying. She stood up at once and knelt as the boy got closer and nearly jumped to her arms.

"What happened, Kit? What are you doing here?"

"I'm lost, Arry… I… want… my mom!", he said between sobs.

"Let's find her then… Don't cry, honey…", she said softly, kissing his forehead.

Arya stood up, carrying Kit in her arms, and turned to Gendry, who was smiling enderaringly to them, though she could see some disappointment in his eyes.

"I have to go…", she said, although that was the last thing she wanted right now. "See you later..."

"See you later, Arry..."

Arya gave him a last glance before turning around and leaving. Her heart was fluttering in her chest, and she couldn't wait to be able to talk to Gendry again. Of course she would have to wait only a couple hours… But they would surely be the longest hours of her life.


	4. Chapter 4

Gendry finished his work in the forge as fast as he could, eager to talk to Arya. She had been in his thoughts during the whole afternoon, and he was surprised that he managed to avoid hurting himself again, given he had been even more distracted than in the morning. When he was done, he thought it would be a good idea to have a bath in the river before meeting Arya, and that's what he did.

He was nervous. He had never been so nervous for a girl in his entire life… Actually he had never been romantically involved with anyone, and though he had kissed a couple girls back in King's Landing, none of them ever made his heart beat frantically like it was beating for Arya now. He was anxious to resume his conversation with her and tell her about his feelings.

After finishing his bath, he nearly ran to the inn. As soon as he entered the common hall, he noticed Arya was talking to Hannah in one of the tables. They turned to look at him, and Hannah's cheeks immediately got red. Arya seemed to notice it and rolled her eyes, looking annoyed. Gendry had to use all his will power not to chuckle at that. Hannah turned to Arya again and they talked a little bit more, and then she got up and walked towards the kitchens, throwing him a last – and shy – look on her way out.

Gendry walked towards Arya and sat in front of her. Now she looked really displeased, as if she had been hiding it before, when she was still talking to Hannah.

"Are you okay?"

"No..."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not here… Let's go for a walk?"

"Fine by me…"

They left the inn and walked side by side towards the woods. She was silent, and he wasn't sure of what to say. She seemed really displeased, but he didn't know whether it was due to her conversation to Hannah or something else.

When they were far away enough from the inn, she stopped and turned to look at him. She seemed slightly nervous, but determined all the same.

"So… Will you tell me what's wrong?", he asked.

"Did you mean it?", she asked suddenly.

"Did I mean... what?"

"What you said to me earlier... Did you mean it?", she asked, her face serious and somewhat anxious.

"I meant every word," he said, looking deeply into her grey eyes.

She held his gaze for a couple seconds, her expression unreadable, and then she suddenly closed the space between them, grabbed his face and, rising on her tiptoes, pulled him down into a kiss. An overwhelming sensation took over him and he felt as if his heart was about to explode. But then she broke the kiss, just as suddenly as she had started it, and leaned back, looking at him awkwardly.

He stared at her stupidly, and she smirked.

"That's why you brought me that far from the inn? You wanted to take advantage of me?", he asked playfully, causing her to giggle.

"As if you couldn't defend yourself...", she teased.

"You're right, I can defend myself…", he said, stepping closer to her again. "But I don't want to…"

And with that, he leaned down and captured her lips again, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. She sighed, parting her lips and allowing his pleading tongue to enter her mouth. She placed both hands on each side of his face before moving them slowly to his neck, her fingers entwining in his dark hair while she deepened the kiss.

The kiss was long and full of want, and soon Gendry found himself leading her to a nearby tree, never breaking the kiss. He gently pinned her there, moulding his body against hers, his hands roaming up and down her sides, making her shudder under his touch. His tongue caressed hers slowly, drinking in her taste, and he could stay like this for hours…

But he couldn't. He knew he would need to breathe eventually… Besides, he could feel the fire rising within his body and concentrating right down his stomach, and it wouldn't take long for it to become visible – he wondered if Arya was already feeling it against her.

And then he broke the kiss, breathing heavily as Arya sucked gently his lower lip before letting it go. He stared lovingly into her eyes and stroked her cheek.

"Hannah wouldn't be pleased…", Arya said almost apologetically, with an adorable flush on her face.

"What? Why?"

"Well… She asked me to help her with you… And look what I've done…"

Gendry shrugged.

"She never stood a chance anyway… You've been here much before I even knew her name," he said, pressing her hand against his heart, and she smiled.

"But what am I supposed to do now? I can't just say the truth… She thinks I'm your sister. Everyone thinks we're siblings, and we can't just reveal we're not now. If they knew we've been lying all this time, it would raise suspicions..."

"I know… Don't worry, we'll figure out what to do," he said, leaning down to kiss her again.

* * *

They spent the rest of the afternoon sat by the tree, half the time sharing feverish kisses, the other half just talking, with Arya between Gendry's legs and laid back against his chest. She never felt so happy, and she could feel that he felt the same. He caressed her the entire time, sometimes on her cheeks, sometimes on her hair. Although she always knew he had a tender heart, she never expected him to be so affectionate.

Actually, she never expected  _herself_  to be so affectionate. In fact, if someone had told her, five years ago, that one day her friendship with Gendry would turn into something else, she would probably have made a very disgusted face. First, because she didn't believe she would ever be romantically involved with anyone; second, he was  _Gendry_ , and he was a stupid bullheaded boy.

But now things had changed between them. And she couldn't be happier.

Shortly before the sunset, they made it back to the inn. They walked half the way with their hands linked, and then they parted, to avoid suspicions. Although that simple gesture itself was hardly able to reveal their secret, it wouldn't be very nice if people started to think they were like Cersei and Jamie Lannister...

They arrived at the inn before dinner, and Arya went upstairs to have a bath. She decided to wear her dress again, and while she brushed her hair before the mirror, she couldn't help thinking about Sansa.  _She would be proud… Me wearing a dress, two days in a row_ , she thought, realizing how much she missed her sister, in spite of her differences. When she was done, she went back to the main hall.

Once again the singer of the other night was there, and when Arya entered the main hall, he started singing a song:

_My featherbed is deep and soft, and there I'll lay you down,_

_I'll dress you all in yellow silk, and on your head a crown._

_For you shall be my lady love, and I shall be your lord._

_I'll always keep you warm and safe, and guard you with my sword._

Arya found the table where Gendry was and her heart lurched at the look on his face. She hoped to the seven gods she was not blushing. She sat beside him, trying not to look directly at him but sensing his stare. She didn't think twice before kicking his foot under the table.

"Ouch!" he shouted before he could stop himself. "What was that for?", he whispered, half-offended, half-playfully.

"You know very well… You're making me blush," she whispered back.

"And you're making me stare… You should've known better before wearing this dress…"

This time she punched him in the arm.

_And how she smiled and how she laughed, the maiden of the tree._

_She spun away and said to him, no featherbed for me._

_I'll wear a gown of golden leaves, and bind my hair with grass,_

_But you can be my forest love, and me your forest lass._

Arya looked down and smiled, and thought it would be a good idea to help serving the dinner. She passed by Hannah a few times, but only smiled at her, never stopping to say anything. She still wasn't sure of what she was going to tell her, and she only hoped Hannah would wait instead of approaching her to ask about Gendry.

When she was done serving the dinner, she sat by Gendry's side again and started eating. That was when she noticed a man staring at them with wide eyes. She bet he was drunk, since he was already drinking when they got back to the inn earlier. Then his eyes suddenly got even wider.

"Gods be good! I think I already had enough beer for one day, I'm even seeing ghosts now!", he shouted exasperatedly. Arya and Gendry looked at each other, confusion written all over their faces, and looked back to the man.

"What ghosts?", Hot Pie asked, just as confused.

"Lyanna Stark and Robert Baratheon, back straight from the dead! Seven hells, who's coming next? Rhaegar Targaryen?"

Arya stiffened on her seat and she was pretty sure all the colours had just drained from her face.

She wanted to hide from her past, but it seemed her past had just found her...


	5. Chapter 5

Arya leaned back against the door after closing it and looked gravely at Gendry, who had just sat on his bed. His eyes met hers, and he could see fear on them.

"Do you really think he's a threat? I mean, he was completely drunk, I bet he won't remember anything tomorrow…"

"He may not remember, but… what if he _does_ remember?"

"I still don't see why you're so worried about him… Why is it so bad that you reminded him of your aunt?"

"What if he mentions this to someone who's still looking for me? Of course I'm not Lyanna, but it wouldn't be very hard for one to assume I'm a Stark. We know that everyone thinks that all the Starks are dead, but there must be people who believe I'm not… They never found my dead body after all. What if someone decides to track down the 'ghost' of Lyanna Stark and ends up finding me? Gendry, when I was younger, I heard more than once that I resembled my aunt…", she said, sitting beside him on the bed.

Gendry put his arm around her shoulder and held her close. She was shaking.

"Please calm down, Arya… No one will find you…"

"How can you know? I don't want to see my life being ruined again, especially now that…", she looked at him tenderly and he was sure she would talk about their new relationship, but then she suddenly seemed to realize something else. "He said you looked like King Robert," she said, staring at him intently.

"Well, then he's drunken _and_ blind. I only saw King Robert a couple times, and he was fat. _Very_ fat. How could I be mistaken for his ghost?"

"But he was not like that always… My father always told us stories about Robert's rebellion and how they fought together to save my aunt from Rhaegar Targaryen… My father said that Robert was very strong and brave, a fierce warrior. He got fat much after marrying Cersei. He was betrothed to my aunt before Rhaegar kidnapped her… If that man got to know my aunt, then he also knew Robert in his youth too, and…" Arya kept staring at him, and then she gasped. "Is it even possible…?", she asked in disbelief.

"What?"

Now _he_ was getting nervous. The look on Arya's face was getting more and more astonished, and she looked like she was thinking very hard.

"Gendry, do you remember a few years ago, when a group of travelers stopped here, and one of them started talking about the Lannisters and how Cersei's children were never Robert's and how they killed all the Robert's bastards they could find as soon as Joffrey sat on the Iron Throne?"

"Yes, I remember and… wait… do you think…?"

"Well, it would all make sense. Why both Hands of the King, Lord Arryn and my father, were so interested in you? Why did your master suddenly got sick of you and decided to send you to the Night's Watch? Why the Gold Cloaks traveled all the way from King's Landing to our camp offering a reward to whoever turned you over? And they came back later and attacked us, and killed Yoren, still looking for you…"

Gendry was speechless. He knew what Arya was implying, but he didn't dare say it out loud.

"Yoren tried to protect us… He asked us to keep out of sight, both of us. He wanted to protect me because I was a Stark and he was trying to keep me away from the Lannisters… As for you… Gendry, he knew about you too, he knew why the Gold Cloaks were after you."

"Arya, this is madness… I never… I never…"

"I never paid much attention to why they had been after you because I always knew we would never find out the truth, but now… That drunken man thought he was seeing my aunt's ghost because I do resemble her, and he thought you were Robert Baratheon's ghost because you resemble him… Because you resemble your _father_!"

"This is madness…" was all he could say. He was utterly flabbergasted. Although her theory was completely surreal, it _did_ make sense. "Do you think I really look like him?", he asked, after several minutes of shocked silence.

She studied his face.

"He did have blue eyes and black hair, just like you. Maybe you do look like him when he was young, otherwise that man wouldn't have pointed it out. Of course we will probably never know for sure, but, Gendry, it makes too much sense not to be true."

"You're right… but… seven hells…", he chuckled in disbelief, running a hand through his hair.

"We should leave," she said at once.

"Hmm? What?"

"I think we should leave. It might be dangerous for you too, Gendry… What if they found you?"

"Who? I don't think there're still people looking for me. You said Lommy was me, remember?"

"Which doesn't mean that they believed it or that they didn't found out the truth later," she pointed out.

"But the Lannisters are gone now…"

"But your existence would still be a threat… Since King Robert left no trueborn heir, you do have a claim to the throne."

"Which doesn't mean I want it," he argued, refusing to even think about the possibility.

"Which doesn't mean they would leave you alone if they found out you're alive!", she said exasperatedly, as she stood and started to pace around the room.

His eyes followed her and he stood as well. She had stopped in front of the window, her back to him, and he walked towards her.

"You won't calm down until we're far away from here, will you?", he asked as his hand touched her shoulder, silently asking her to turn around.

"No…", she said stubbornly, and then she turned around to face him.

"I thought so," he smiled, caressing her face gently. He could tell she was terrified, and he knew she had her reasons to overreact. He didn't think the drunken guy would be much of a threat, but he knew Arya… "When do you want us to leave?"

"I don't know… We don't need to leave right now, we can wait a few days, or a couple weeks, I think."

"Do you have any idea where you want to go?"

"No… I have to think…"

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway. Wherever you go, I'll follow you", he said softly, circling his thumb on her cheek.

Her face lit up at his words, and she smiled the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. She lightly grabbed the collar of his shirt and rose on her tiptoes to kiss him. His hands rested firmly on her waist as he bent down, meeting her lips in a chaste kiss. He pecked her lower lip, gently, and then moved to her upper lip. Her lips were soft, warm, and so sweet…

They kissed slowly, savoring every inch of each other lips. Then he lightly bit her lower lip, asking for entrance, and she responded more than eagerly, parting her lips. He slid his tongue inside her mouth, kissing her deeply and passionately. He took his right hand to her neck and slid it up to the side of her face, his thumb caressing her cheek as he explored her hot mouth. His left hand was now on the small of her back, pressing her body against his.

One of her hands left the collar of his shirt, reached the back of his neck and started caressing his hair, which sent shivers down his spine, making him moan against her mouth and deepen the kiss even more.

They kissed hotly, their tongues swirling around each other, and Gendry felt the heat take over his body in a frantic way. He eventually broke the kiss, gasping for air, but held Arya right where she was, her body pressed against his. He didn't want let her go, not yet… Although he knew that, if they went on like this, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from lose control.

They stared into each other's eyes, panting softly, and he knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her… But he still needed to know if it was too soon to go on… But before he could even open his mouth to say anything, she started kissing his jaw and then his neck, making him shiver again and gasp in pleasure.

Arya stopped working on his neck and grabbed his face with both hands, bringing his mouth back to hers, and kissed him. He returned the kiss with such passion that he nearly felt Arya melting in his arms. Then her hands reached the hem of his shirt and started lifting it up slowly, and he quickly pulled it off over his head. She grabbed his hand and started walking backwards, towards the bed. He followed her, staring at her with eyes full of desire, surprised with her boldness. She stopped beside his bed and pulled him closer to her. He swallowed hard and, even though all her actions showed she was pretty sure of what she was doing, he felt the need to ask.

"Are you sure?", he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"I've never been so sure of anything in my life," she said, looking straight into his eyes, and he knew it was true.

He leaned down and kissed her gently as he started undoing the laces of her dress. She helped him, and when the dress was loose enough, he brought his hands to her shoulders and pulled it down, revealing her small clothes and a good amount of her pale skin. Gendry swallowed even harder now and breathed hard as her hands reached the laces of his trousers and bumped into his hardness.

They didn't take long to discard the rest of their clothes and knock off their boots before falling on the bed, Gendry on his back and Arya on top of him. She placed her hands on the pillow for support, beside each side of his head, and kissed him deeply. He returned the kiss passionately and let his hands roam up and down her back.

Gendry felt his body grow hotter and hotter as Arya pressed herself against him, his mind blurry with passion, and suddenly he found himself flipping her and pinning her on the bed before trailing hot kisses on her neck and collarbone. She gasped aloud and he felt her shudder beneath him.

His right hand cupped one of her breasts and started to stroke it slowly, making her moan, and he marveled at the smoothness of her skin. Before he could stop himself, his mouth started to move down her body until it closed over her other breast, and she took a sharp intake of breath. Gendry sucked on her breast gently, swirling his tongue around her hardened nipple, and she squirmed beneath him, moaning softly, and he smiled against her skin. Then he moved to her other breast, causing her to arch her back in pleasure.

As he sucked her breast, nibbling her nipple every now and then, his hand traveled down her body and reached between her legs, making her squirm again. His fingers found her clit and started stroking it delicately, and she gasped for air, moaning his name. She suddenly grabbed his head and pulled him up into an urgent kiss. Her hand then roamed down his body and she took his hardness, closing her fingers over it and moving up and down his length.

Gendry dipped his head in the crook of her neck and let out a muffled groan, and he knew he couldn't get any harder than he was already. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of her soft hand on his sex. She stroked him a few more times before he started to position himself, gently parting her legs with his knees. She brought her own knees up, placing them on either sides of his hips, and stared up at him, her eyes shining.

He stared down at her tenderly and caressed her face with one hand, while the other propped him up.

"I love you," she whispered, and he could see a hint of nervousness on her voice.

"I love you too…", he said, caressing her face once again before leaning down into a deep and long kiss.

Gendry placed the tip of his manhood at her entrance, which was hot and impossibly wet, and started pushing in slowly. She was incredibly tight, and he wasn't surprised when she closed her eyes shut and grimaced at his movement. He stopped and she immediately opened her eyes.

"Don't stop… I'll be fine, please don't stop…", she said in a almost inaudible voice.

"I'll go slow, I promise…", he said, and she nodded, smiling at him.

He started pushing into her again, even slower than before, using all his self-control to avoid thinking on his own need and focus on her. She closed her eyes again, furrowing her brow, and took a deep breath as he moved further and further into her, until he couldn't go any deeper. He kissed her lips gently and started withdrawing, just as slow, and then pushed into her again, his eyes never leaving her face. He repeated the movement a few more times, keeping the rhythm slow.

Each time was easier than before, and he contentedly noticed when her expression started to soften. He didn't quicken the pace yet though, just to make sure she was okay. He withdrew slowly, and when he pushed in again, her body shuddered a little and she sighed. The next thrust made her sigh again and she arched her body against his. And when he was about to thrust again, her hips rose up to meet his halfway, and then he lost himself within her.

Arya pulled his face down and his lips met hers in a hot kiss. He groaned against her mouth as he thrust back and forth in a delicious rhythm. Her body was moving along with his now, her hands placed on his hips, encouraging his movements. Her pleasured moans and gasps were driving him insane, and he couldn't help but quicken the pace.

Gendry was now moving into her with strong and deep thrusts, his pace faster and faster. It didn't take long for Arya to tilt her head back and arch her body in pleasure as she came, her legs tightening the grip around his hips while her walls clenched around him. This and the sweet sounds of her whimpers were enough to drive him crazy and trigger his own release, and he dipped his head into the crook of her neck again, to avoid crying out too loud.

Gendry rolled off her, pulling her into his arms at the same time. She cuddled against him and then they stayed still, catching their breaths. He slid a hand into her hair, playing with her locks as she planted a kiss on his chest. She looked up at him and smiled, a hint of shyness crossing her face.

"How are you feeling?", he asked softly, stroking her hair.

"A little bit sore," she admitted, her face reddening, "but-"

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you," he said apologetically, feeling really guilty. "I wish I could have-"

"Will you shut up?", she smirked, shifting her position and moving up until their faces were at the same level. "Don't be sorry, because I'm not. This soreness is nothing compared to what you've just made me feel, Gendry… It was wonderful, and actually it was much better than I'd imagined, and…"

"Wait, you _imagined_ it?", he chuckled at her confession. "How long have you been imagining this...?"

"For at least two years, I think…", she said, giggling.

"Oh… wow…", he said stupidly. "Two years… how did I never notice it?"

"Because you're stupid," she stated, but it didn't sound like an insult, because the tone in her voice was far too loving, and he just smiled.

She kissed him lightly on the lips and cuddled against his chest again. He resumed playing with her hair, and soon she drifted off to sleep. He looked down at her and wondered how he'd lived his life until now without this. He smiled to himself and closed his eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep as well. And it would surely be the best sleep he had ever had.


	6. Chapter 6

Arya slowly opened her eyes, awakening from the best sleep she had ever had in her entire life. A contented smile flowered on her face when she felt Gendry's warmth behind her. She was lying on her side, her back against his chest, one of his arms resting around her waist, holding her close.

She closed her eyes again, as memories from the previous day (and night) filled her thoughts. She could barely believe in the amount of feelings she had been able to feel in one single day. She had finally made a move towards Gendry, and now she wished she had done this much before…

Gendry stirred behind her, interrupting her thoughts. She turned her body to face him while he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and then he looked at her. They stared at each other silently for a few seconds.

"Good morning," he said softly, smiling.

"Good morning," she grinned.

"Did I awake you?" he asked, his hand gently brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"No, I was awake already," she answered, her heart starting to pound at his touch.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, his voice even softer, his thumb now caressing her cheek.

"I've never slept so well in my life," she answered sincerely, looking straight into his blue eyes.

He grinned before leaning forward, and their lips met in a soft kiss, which soon turned into a deep and passionate one. Arya felt her body starting to burn, aching for Gendry's, and she knew where this was leading them to. But then she broke the kiss.

"Gendry," she whispered breathlessly, "we have to go… If we stay in the chambers much longer, they will suspect…"

"I know… You're right," he sighed resignedly. "I wish I could stay here with you all day," he said huskily. His words, along with the fire in his gaze, made her shiver, and she could already feel a pleasant tingle between her legs. But she just smiled and gave him a quick kiss before getting up to look for her clothes.

He got up as well and started to dress. She couldn't help but eye him while he got dressed, watching the play on his muscles as he put on his breeches and then his shirt. He suddenly seemed distracted, his eyes staring at somewhere and nowhere at the same time, and for once she guessed what he was thinking about.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, walking towards him.

"I… I don't know… It's really weird to think I may be King Robert's son… It's just… surreal."

"I know..." she said, taking one of his hands between hers and squeezing it.

"Well, I don't care anyway. Let's just leave this place as soon as possible."

"I see you agree with me now," she smiled.

"It may not be dangerous to stay here, but we can't be sure. I don't want to risk us getting caught by anyone. I just want to have a peaceful life with you, and if we need to run away to somewhere else to make it sure, so be it," he said, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"We could go to the Free Cities."

"It sounds good."

Gendry placed his hands on her waist and leaned down for a kiss, which she more than gladly returned. She knew it was getting late, but the feeling of his lips on hers was so alluring that she couldn't help but pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. His hands suddenly left her waist and slid down to the back of her thighs, and then he lifted her up, bringing her legs to either side of his hips as he pressed her against the nearest wall, causing her to gasp against his lips. She stroked the back of his neck as she nibbled his lower lip before sliding her tongue into his mouth. They were kissing almost hungrily, completely forgetting themselves, when…

"SEVEN HELLS IT'S TRUE!"

Gendry and Arya nearly screamed before looking at the door, just in time to see Hot Pie's flabbergasted face. He let out a loud "Oh shit!" and hurriedly shut the door closed, but Arya couldn't let him go. She quickly reclaimed her feet, nearly knocking Gendry out in the process, and ran to the door, opened it with a slam, and managed to reach Hot Pie before he made to the stairs. She dragged him back to the room, ignoring his failed attempts to free himself from her, and closed the door.

Hot Pie was utterly red as his gaze went from Arya to Gendry, and then he turned purple when he noticed the bulge in Gendry's pants.

"Shit, you guys want me to have nightmares for the rest of my life or what?"

"Shut up!", Arya shouted, equally purple. "Couldn't you just knock?"

"How long have you been doing…  _this_?"

"We haven't done anything!" she lied.

"Oh really?"

There was an awkward silence.

"What did you mean by 'It's true'?", Gendry asked as he crossed the room to stand in front of Hot Pie.

"I saw Hannah crying earlier, and I asked her why, and she said she heard noises coming from here when she was heading to her chambers. She said she heard… she heard… SEVEN HELLS, I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU WHAT SHE HEARD, DO I?", he demanded.

"Oh shit…" Arya said, sitting beside Gendry and burying her head on her hands. "She must be hating me right now…"

"Hating you?  _Hating_  doesn't even cover, the girl is horrified! She thinks you two are siblings, remember?"

"Oh shit…", Arya repeated, mortified.

"So… How long have you been… you know…?"

"Actually last night was the first time…" Gendry said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

Hot Pie gave them both a reproachful look, which infuriated Arya to no ends.

"Don't look at us like that! We're entitled to try to be happy, you know, like everyone else! I'm free now, and this is the one good thing about everything that happened to me. It may sound selfish what I'm going to say, but if I still lived my highborn life I would never have the freedom I have now, and I would probably be married off to some disgusting lord for a stupid alliance or some shit like that. I wish it had been different, I wish I hadn't lost my family, but I can't bring them back, so I'm very willing to make the most of the life I have now. And I will NOT have anyone censoring me like Septa Mordane used to do every time she saw me doing things that were not ladylike. I just want to be happy…"

"We love each other, Hot Pie," Gendry added, which made Arya smile.

"Oh…", Hot Pie looked down, probably feeling ashamed. "Well…" he said, facing Arya and Gendry again, "it's just… I never imagined it would ever happen, you two."

"Neither did us, really…" Arya said, feeling her rage slowly fade away.

"What are we going to do with Hannah now? If she tells anyone what she heard, it will ruin your secret, they'll know you're not siblings and people will ask why you've been lying all this time," Hot Pie inquired.

"We won't tell them we're not siblings. I don't really care what they'll think about us. We're not staying here much longer anyway…" Arya shrugged.

"What do you mean you're not staying?"

Arya and Gendry exchanged looks and sighed. It would be a very long talk.

* * *

Hot Pie had reacted nicely, Arya mused as she made her way to the kitchens. At first he got utterly shocked with the possibility of Gendry being King Robert's bastard, and then there was also the fact that Arya was the last remaining Stark. But he fully comprehended the potential danger of their situation and gave them his support. Gendry and Arya had asked him to go with them, but he refused. As much as he was sad about the whole situation, he was very willing to have a quiet life, and he had already established himself working at the inn. Arya couldn't blame him.

When she got closer to the kitchens, she started hearing voices, and she soon recognized one of them as being Hannah's. Her heart stopped inside her chest when she noticed who she was talking to. She came closer to the doorframe as quietly as possible.

"You're telling me they're not siblings?", Hannah asked in disbelief. "They always posed as brother and sister; I had never had reasons to doubt this… Well, not until last night."

"I'm sure they're not, they don't even look alike. I bet everything I have that I know who they are. I have no idea how they ended up together, but I'm quite sure she's the lost Stark and he's one of King Robert's remaining bastards. I wasn't  _that_  drunk last night, I know what I saw. I don't know whether this will be interesting news for Queen Daenerys or not, but I'll never know if I don't try. I may get a good reward, and if I get it, be sure I won't forget your help. All you have to do is pretend you don't know anything until my return. I'll be back with more men to take them to the Queen."

So that drunken man was perfectly sober now, and he remembered very well what he had seen last night, Arya thought. It appeared he had somehow approached Hannah to ask about the "ghosts" of Robert and Lyanna, and she seemed to have told him everything she knew.

"You... won't hurt Gendry, will you? You could take only Arry, and leave Gendry here... with me."

Arya clenched her fists at what Hannah said.

"I don't know if I can do this, sweetling. If they really are who I think they are, he's even more valuable than her."

"So you're not that sure yet?"

"Actually no… But I think it's worth trying."

"When are you going?"

"Well, I want to rest one more day… I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

Arya didn't need to hear further. She sneaked away as quietly as she had come and headed to her and Gendry's chambers in time to find him and Hot Pie still there, talking about when they were going to leave. Arya entered the room, closed the door behind her and leaned back against it, her face livid and serious.

Gendry seemed to notice immediately that there was something wrong, as he looked at her worriedly.

"Arya, what happened?"

She sighed shakily.

"We're leaving tonight."


	7. Chapter 7

The sunlight had long gone and the moon was shining bright on the night skies. Gendry tossed on the ground and found himself unable to sleep, despite the tiredness. He turned to face Arya, who was sleeping deeply by his side, and couldn't help but smile as he watched her. He had been worried about what they might face until finally reaching Saltpans, where they were going to find a ship to the Free Cities, but they had no trouble so far. They had been traveling for eight days now, and he was feeling extremely tired and sore all over from the intense horse riding. They had decided to make only brief stops in the beginning of their journey, so that they could get as far as possible from the inn in case someone decided to go after them. He was happy though, and excited to start a new life with Arya, in a new place, far away from Westeros and its constant troubles.

They had worked hard in the past few years, and the coin they had was enough for two passages to Braavos. Arya's former dancing master was from Braavos, and she was very fond of the idea of living there. "I can find a way to resume my lessons and become as skilled in sword fighting as I want to be, and you can find a smithy and make swords for the Braavosi. I'm sure there's a lot of work for you there," she had said happily, and he agreed.

Gendry thought back in the day they had departed from the inn. Hot Pie had helped them to prepare everything for the journey, which included the provisions – a good amount of bread, sausages, salted meat, hard cheese, water and wine. They left once everyone was sleeping, so that the others only would find them missing in the next morning. Gendry had had a hard time trying to convince Arya not to do anything against Hannah. Arya was fuming, and he was sure she would cause a lot of damage if Hannah happened to cross her way that day. Eventually he convinced her she had to keep pretending she hadn't heard Hanna's conversation with Pate – that was the name of the drunken man – and that she didn't know anything about his intentions.

Gendry finally felt his eyelids start to close and he was just drifting off when Arya all but jumped to a sitting position, panting. Her eyes were wide open, and she took a hand to her mouth, as if tasting something.

"Arya, what happened? Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?"

She turned to look at him, her eyes confused.

"Nightmare? No, not really… It was a… I don't know what it was. It was a dream, but at the same time it was very real, but it couldn't be real, could it?"

"What did you dream about?"

She stared at him, as if unsure whether she should tell him about her dream or not, but then she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, as if trying to remember everything.

"I was a wolf, and there were other wolves with me, I had a pack. We were together, and we were hunting, and then we sensed the smell of men, of evil men. We tracked them down and we found them in horses, and they were riding in the same path you and I rode two days ago. I knew who they were. One of them was Pate, he seemed to be the leader. As for the others… I don't know their names, but I know their faces. They lived in the village and some of them used to go to the inn."

"Why would you dream with them?"

"I don't know…"

"What else happened?"

"We killed them. All of them."

"You… killed them?"

"Yes. I led the attack. I knew what they were doing and where they were going, and we killed them. All of them. I still can taste their blood in my mouth…"

Gendry was shocked, but he knew violent dreams weren't something new to Arya.

"It was just a dream, Arya."

"Was it? I don't know why, but I feel relieved now, as if we didn't need to worry anymore about being followed."

"You think it was true? How?"

"I don't know, I can't explain…"

There was a long silence. Arya was gazing down at her hands, her brows furrowed. Gendry would give anything to know what she was thinking, but he didn't ask. And he didn't need to, because Arya spoke again.

"There's something I never told you."

She raised her eyes to him, and he knew she was ready to tell him whatever it was. He wanted to know, but at the same time he was afraid to ask. But he gave her a questioning look nonetheless.

"Do you remember when we heard about the Red Wedding and what happened to my brother and my mother then?"

"How could I forget?" he said softly.

"A couple weeks before we heard the news, I had a dream. I was a wolf then too, and I dreamed that I found my mother's body in a river," her voice trailed off, and her eyes watered, but she shook the tears away and continued. "She was naked, and she had a big gash on her neck. I pulled her from the river and placed her on the shore."

The tears were falling freely now, and Gendry took her hands in his, in a soothing gesture. He understood what she had just told him. When they learned about the Red Wedding, they also learned how her mother had died. Someone had cut her throat, and her naked body had been thrown into a river. What Arya was telling him was that she had seen her mother's dead body – in the exact state it was supposed to be – in a dream even before she knew she was dead.

"It was the most disturbing dream I had ever had, and it did seem real, but I tried to convince myself otherwise. I thought she was alive, and I wanted to find her, and I couldn't even consider the possibility of her being dead."

He nodded understandingly.

"So you think the dream you just had was the same kind?"

"Yes, I do."

Gendry considered the idea.  _It must be truth_.

"That means Pate changed his mind after we left and, instead of leaving and bringing his men later, he decided to gather men from the village to come after us, to save time."

"Probably. Who knows what tale he told them, but whatever it was, he probably promised them they would have a reward from the queen."

"I never thought there would be people in that village capable of doing us harm."

"The ones I saw in the dream... I never liked them. But it doesn't matter anymore. I think we're safe now," she said, a small smile flowering on her lips.

Gendry laid on the ground again and pulled her softly to him, holding her protectively. He kissed her forehead as she made herself comfortable, snuggling into him. She quickly drifted back to sleep, and he did the same.

 

 

* * *

The next night, they agreed to make their stop earlier than usual. They had made good time since the beginning of the journey, and Arya was feeling at ease now. After last night, she couldn't bring herself to worry about their safety anymore. She was sure that the only threat was gone, and now they could travel without worries.

They had supper, and then laid down together next to a tree, their cloaks beneath them. As soon as she laid on the ground, Gendry pulled her to him, as usual, wrapping his arms around her, and pressed a kiss on the top of her head. Her back was pressed against his chest, and she could feel his breathing tickling her neck.

She wasn't asleep yet, and she couldn't help but wonder if Gendry was. But before she could ask him, she felt his lips touching her earlobe, which sent shivers through her body. He started kissing and nibbling at her neck, and she gasped. His right hand had found their way beneath her shirt and now he was stroking her breast. Arya moaned loudly and pressed her body further against his before shifting her position so that she was facing him. His eyes were so full of lust that she shivered again, and suddenly she found herself pushing him on his back and crawling on top of him, their lips meeting in a hungry and almost desperate kiss.

Arya hadn't realized how much she had missed this. They hadn't made love since that first time, given that their attentions had been focused on running away. They had been traveling for nine days now, and the first eight had been so weary – and filled with worry that they might have been followed – that both of them would fall asleep instantly as soon as their bodies touched the ground by night.

And now the burning need came crashing, and Arya could tell that the intensity of his need matched her own. Both his hands were in her breasts now, stroking them vigorously as she grinded herself on him, relishing the feeling of his already throbbing hardness pressed up against her, their lips still locked.

And then Arya pulled away, breaking the kiss. She straddled his hips and looked down at him, her breathing fast and ragged. His hands left her breasts and grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling it up. She helped him and was about to pull it over her head when they heard a noise coming from the woods. She put her shirt back and got to her feet in a blink of an eye, and Gendry followed suit.

"What was that?" he asked, looking at the direction where the sound came from.

"I don't know," she said, trying to see something, but all she could see was lots of trees obscured by the night.

There was a moment of silence and they looked at each other, and then the sound came again.

And it was followed by a howl, an unmistakable wolf howl.

Arya's eyes widened, and when she looked at Gendry again, he was pale.

"Was that what I think it was?"

"If you're thinking of wolves, then I'm afraid you're right," she said. For some reason the prospect of having wolves next to them didn't scare her in the least. But she couldn't say the same about Gendry.

"I don't like this. Arya, let's get away from here, they may still be far and-"

"No. Gendry, it's okay," she said, and with that she was walking forward, following the little sounds that only increased.

"Arya! Please, Arya, get back!"

He followed her and grabbed her arm. She turned around to face him, and she could see he was utterly terrified.

"Gendry, it's okay. Trust me."

"Arya, please… Let's find a safe place," he urged, and she could hear the panic in his voice.

"It  _is_  safe, Gendry. Please, trust me."

She stared firmly into his eyes, trying to show him she was certain of what she was doing. He sighed and finally let go of her arm, and she resumed walking towards the sound. He followed her closely, even though she knew he was frightened to death.

 _He's afraid, but he's following me nonetheless_. She smiled at the thought.

Suddenly she stopped. She could hear the soft paw steps coming at her direction, and it didn't take long for her to see the wolf.

She heard Gendry gasping behind her, and she couldn't blame him. It was not an ordinary wolf. It was a huge, majestic female direwolf.

And Arya knew her well.

She couldn't help the tears that started flowing down her face, and she brought both hands to her mouth, and then she was crying and laughing at the same time. She stepped forward and so did the direwolf, and in the next second she was nuzzling Arya's face and licking her tears.

"Where have you been, my friend?" Arya asked before burying her face into Nymeria's soft furs. "You've grown!"

She suddenly remembered Gendry and looked back at him, and he was smiling fondly at her, any trace of fear gone.

"So that's Nymeria," he said. It wasn't a question.

Arya just smiled and nodded, and beckoned him to come closer, and he did. Nymeria turned her attention to him, licking his face the same way she had done to Arya, and he laughed.

"She likes you," Arya said, drinking at the adorable sight.

"She barely knows me," he said, growing confident and petting the direwolf behind her ears.

"She knows that I love you, and she can sense what you feel for me as well," she smiled again, and he grinned.

"I have no idea how is that, but there's no denying you two have a very special and strong bond, otherwise she wouldn't have found you."

"Yes, she found us… and she has saved us. Now I know it was her in my dream… in both dreams. I can feel it."

Nymeria followed them back to their little camp, and settled herself on the ground, a few trees away from Arya and Gendry. The wolves from her pack were nearby, but they kept their distance. Their presence made Gendry uneasy though, and she could feel his tension when they were lying again on the ground.

"You don't have to be afraid, Gendry. I thought you were okay with Nymeria already."

"Yes, I'm completely okay with her, but what about the others?"

"They won't hurt us. She's their leader, and she's a direwolf. They know better than to do anything that might displease her."

Gendry just looked at her and sighed, frowning slightly. She hugged him tight and placed a reassuring kiss on his jaw.

"Don't worry, she will protect me. She will protect us," she whispered before closing her eyes and letting the sleep take over her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here comes the final chapter of this story. Beware the smut and the extreme doses of fluff ahead!
> 
> Hope you enjoy it! :)

Gendry woke up with Nymeria licking his face.

“Whoah girl,” he laughed. But his laughing faded quickly, as he noticed Arya wasn't there. “Where's Arya?” he asked, not really expecting Nymeria to answer, but she started nudging him and throwing glances at a very specific direction into the woods.

“There's a river over there. Is that where Arya is?”

He quickly got to his feet, not liking the idea of Arya being this far away from him. Nymeria seemed to think the same, because she closed her mouth over one of his hands (without biting) and pulled him, making him follow her.

When Gendry approached the shore, he saw her discarded clothes. He turned around and saw Nymeria settling herself on the ground. She threw another glance at the river, as if telling him to go on, and shrugged, before resting her head on her paws, looking at the opposite direction.

Gendry had to smile at that. It was as if Nymeria was guarding them but giving them privacy at the same time.

He discarded his own clothes and got into the water, and the sensation was overwhelming. The water did wonders to his skin and muscles, and he felt himself relax completely. Then he heard splashing sounds coming from somewhere behind a large rock, and he decided not to waste time. He half swam, half walked through the water until he finally saw her.

Arya noticed him immediately and beckoned him to come closer. She had only her head out of the water, but when he approached, she stood straight up. The water was reaching above her bellybutton now, and his breath caught on his throat at the sight. Her bare breasts were glistening from the water, and the soft breeze caused goosebumps to rise on her skin, and he couldn’t help but noticed the way her nipples stiffened. He felt himself stiffen. When he looked up at her again, she had a rather smug look on her face.

Without thinking, he closed the space between them and cupped her left breast, his thumb tracing little circles over her nipple. Arya closed her eyes and sighed, a little smile forming in the corner of her mouth. Then she opened her eyes again.

“How did you know I was here?” she asked, but she seemed to know the answer.

“Nymeria brought me here.”

“I think that was her way to apologize.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Apologize for what?”

“For interrupting us last night,” she said, smirking, and with that she pressed her body against his and started placing open-mouthed kisses on his neck and collarbone as her hands found their way through his hair.

Gendry groaned at her ministrations and both his hands were on her breasts now, kneading them forcefully, causing her to moan against his neck. Then her lips left his neck and she kissed him hard on the mouth, and he returned the kiss just as hard. The kiss was long and hungry and needy, and the more they deepened it, the more he ached to bury himself inside her.

Then Arya pulled away slightly, grabbed his hand and dragged him further deeper into the water, her eyes never leaving his.

When the water reached above her breasts and in the middle of Gendry’s stomach, she stopped, pressed herself against him and stretched her body up along his, and he quickly picked her up by the waist as she wrapped her legs around him. He peppered kisses on her mouth, neck, collarbone, and then lifted her a little higher so that her breasts were in level with his mouth. He kissed her breasts lightly at first, and then started nibbling and sucking on them vigorously, one at a time, as if his life depended on it. Arya’s soft moans filled his ears, and each time his tongue swirled around her nipples, her hands tightened the grip on his hair as well as her legs around his torso, and her whimpers got louder.

When his lips left her breasts, he brought her body down slightly until their lips met. They kissed again, even more passionate than before. One of Arya’s hands was holding his neck firmly while she slid the other down between their bodies until it reached Gendry’s hardness. She grabbed him firmly and stroked it up and down his length, and he gasped against her mouth. She brought her lips back to his neck, kissing and licking and biting it, while her hand worked him a little faster, causing him to shudder and whisper her name between groans of pleasure.

She brought her face up again, her grey eyes looked straight into his eyes, but she didn’t say a word. Without breaking eye contact, her hand stilled around his member, and only her thumb was moving now, circling its tip. Then she placed it between her legs and, with a soft movement, her hips moved forward, and in the next second he was inside her.

She closed her eyes, sighing at the feeling, and wrapped both arms around his neck. He held her firmly by the back of her thighs and started thrusting into her, bumping his hips against hers gently, and kissed her again just as gently, his tongue exploring her mouth slowly, savoring each second of it.

The slow pace didn’t last long though, and Gendry soon found himself moving his hips in a rhythm that had them both gasping and moaning loudly in a matter of seconds. Arya let go of his lips and buried her face into the crook of his neck, her breathing hot against his skin, her hands gripping hard at his hair.

When he quickened the pace even more, she threw her head back, her breathing fast and hoarse. When she managed to regain control over herself, she locked eyes with him. Her pleasured expression, the friction between her breasts and his chest, her parted lips and the moans that kept escaping from her mouth turned him on so much that he thought he was going to come already, but thankfully he didn’t. He wanted her to come first.

If he weren’t using both his hands to hold her, he would gladly pay some attention to her clit, but as it was he couldn’t do this now – not if he wanted to keep thrusting into her with the same speed and strength. So he chose to simply bring his lips to her neck and started teasing the sensitive skin with his tongue while he moved his hips even faster into her. Sure enough, his actions added another set of shudders to her already quivering body. She let out the sweetest gasp, and then she was shaking in his arms, her walls clenching around his cock.

It didn’t take long for him to reach his peak as well, and he wished the feeling would never end. He kept thrusting into her until the last aftershock faded away, and even after they were done, he kept holding her close to him. She tightened the grip of her legs around his hips, not wanting to let go of him either, and kissed him.

When she broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers, staring deeply into her eyes. She chuckled.

“What?” he asked, smiling, and raised an eyebrow when noticed she got pretty red in the face.

“You’ve done this before, haven’t you?”

“Hum? Well yes, ten days ago with you?” he said stupidly, and she laughed.

“I mean in the water, stupid,” she said, giggling.

“What? No… You’re my first woman, Arya.”

Then she stopped laughing.

“Really?” she asked, looking at him as if he was growing three heads.

“Yes,” he shrugged, feeling his face heat up.

“I thought you had had women before…”

“Why did you assume that?”

“Well, first of all you’re a man. And I’m not naïve, I know how things work for most men.”

“I thought you knew I was different.”

“Yes, I knew, but not _that_ different.”

“Of course I kissed some girls back in King’s Landing, but I never… Well, it never felt right.”

“Only in King’s Landing? What about in the village?”

“I think I never wanted any other girl ever since I met you, even if I wasn’t aware of it. I just… I don’t know how it started, or when it started. I only know it took me too damn long to realize how much I wanted you.”

She smiled fondly at him, a smile that took his breath away.

“But you still didn’t tell me why you assumed I had had other girls before.”

“Well… because of your… hmm… talented skills?” she said, turning bright red again.

“Is this a compliment?” he asked with a smirk.

“Definitely yes,” she whispered before biting lightly his lower lip. Then she disentangled herself from him and slid down to her feet. “We should go now, before I decide to spend the rest of the day with you in the water.”

“I don’t think it would be a bad idea,” he said, earning a giggle from her and a playful punch in the arm.

* * *

They rode for five more days before finally reaching the outskirts of Saltpans. Arya and Gendry would surely have made better time if they were alone, but with Nymeria and her pack escorting them they felt safe enough to slow the pace, making longer pauses and taking their time to rest and enjoy each other’s company.

Arya couldn’t feel happier. She had finally found her beloved direwolf, and she had Gendry by her side. She still couldn’t believe how he managed to claim such a huge part of her heart in such a little time.

Truth be told, it hadn’t happened in little time. She had nurtured feelings for him since she was old enough to see him as the man he had become, not just as a childhood friend. But she hadn’t known what to do with these feelings, and tried to suppress it, refusing to let it grow so that she wouldn’t hurt herself. But since they revealed their feelings for each other, she let it consume her, and she knew the same was happening to him, given that he held nothing back when they made love in their nightly stops.

They had made love every night since the day in the river, and every time was pure bliss, not only to her body, but mainly to her heart. It was ironic to think that all the tragedy that happened in her life gave her the chance to experience love, given that a highborn lady would never be allowed to live the life she was living now.

They were reaching the end of the forest when Gendry stopped his horse and turned to look at her, interrupting her thoughts. She stopped as well and gave him a questioning look. He threw a glance at some point behind her, and she turned around, just to find that Nymeria had stopped following them. She stood still, looking at Arya from afar, her pack behind her.

“What happened? Why did she stop?”

“We’re about to leave the woods and enter the city, Arya. I think Nymeria knows she can’t keep following us.”

“But…”

“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?” he asked softly.

“I… I…”

She _did_ know it would happen, but she had refused to think about it. Nymeria could never follow her into the city, and she could never cross the sea in a ship with her. She felt her heart constrict painfully inside her chest as tears filled her eyes, and soon they were running freely down her face.

She made her way back to where Nymeria was and got off her horse. She walked towards Nymeria and hugged her, burying her face into her furs while the tears came at full force.

“You came back to me just to make sure I would be safe, isn’t it?”

Nymeria answered by licking the tears away from Arya’s face, but it didn’t stop them to keep falling. Then she threw a glance at her pack and looked back at Arya.

“You have a family of your own now, I see,” Arya said, smiling sadly at her direwolf. Then Nymeria padded towards Gendry, who was standing right beside Arya now – she hadn’t even noticed he had followed her. Nymeria licked Gendry’s face, earning a laugh and some petting from him, and turned to Arya, and she almost could read the words “you have a family of your own too” in the wolf’s eyes. Arya sobbed a couple more times before bursting out laughing, as Nymeria started licking her belly.

“What are you doing, it tickles!” she laughed between her tears.

Nymeria gently nudged Arya’s belly again, without licking this time.

“Stop that, you crazy wolf,” she said playfully, and then she looked at Gendry, and he was watching the scene with an unreadable look in his eyes. She wanted to ask what he was thinking, but then Nymeria licked her face again, to draw her attention and, after a final bow, she turned around and started walking back into the forest.

Arya stood still, watching as Nymeria padded away from her, and she soon could feel Gendry’s arms around her shoulders. She felt the tears flow again when Nymeria stopped, threw them one last glance, and howled the most melancholic howl she had ever heard. Breaking down into tears, Arya turned to Gendry and held him tight, burying her face into his shirt, not wanting to see the moment when Nymeria would disappear into the woods.

They stood there for some moments, until her tears faded away. Gendry kept holding her, caressing her hair in a soothing way and planting soft kisses in the top of her head. When she finally stopped sobbing, he grabbed her chin gently and lifted her face to him.

“Feeling better?” he asked softly, circling her cheek with his thumb. She only nodded in response, not trusting herself to talk without crying again just yet. He held her hand and led her to her horse before mounting his.

After reaching the port of Saltpans, they easily found someone interested in buying their horses. They managed to buy passages – and they still had coin to pay for a stay at the local inn – and in the next morning their ship set sail towards Braavos.

* * *

**_Three months later_ **

Gendry was at the forge, taking care of the old blacksmith’s work. The old man had been feeling very ill lately and Gendry felt sad for him. Dunstan Longsnow was a good man, and both Gendry and Arya had grown fond of him, even if they knew each other for such little time.

They had met him two weeks ago, when they had just arrived in Braavos and were wandering around the city looking for a place to stay. Dunstan, who was a trueborn son of a Westerosi bastard, had been a blacksmith all his life, but he had no wife and no children, which meant his forge and his little house in the back of it would lie abandoned once he died, and that would happen in a matter of months, given his disease.

When he first saw Gendry he immediately guessed he was a smith, due to his built and the bull head helmet he carried – Gendry had made himself another one after losing the first one, years ago.

Arya had been suspicious in the beginning, but they soon learned about Dunstan’s good reputation among the Braavosi and decided to accept the offer to stay at his house. Gendry started working in the forge right away.

Although Gendry had assured Arya he would be able to provide for them both, Arya was stubborn and insisted she wanted to find something to do too, but she had been feeling ill since before arriving in Braavos, so she hadn’t looked for anything yet.

He stopped hammering the anvil, thinking about Arya. He knew it was common to get diseases while sailing in ships, but, even though they hadn’t heard of any plague while they were in the ship, he couldn’t help feeling worried. She was his everything now, and he couldn’t even think about losing her.

 _No_ , he shook those thoughts away. _She’s seeing a maester now, she will be okay_.

Then he heard footsteps approaching, and turned around to see Arya at the door. She had a gleeful smile on her face, and he found himself returning the smile. He put the hammer on the table behind the anvil and made his way towards Arya.

“How are you feeling today?” he asked, placing a hand at the side of her face.

“I’m fine, the master helped me a lot. He saw Dunstan too, he’s feeling better too.”

“That’s good,” he said, studying her face. “What the maester told you about your sickness? You’re going to get better soon, right?” he asked, barely able to hide the worry in his voice.

“I may still feel sick for a few weeks, but it will fade eventually,” she said, a little too happy for someone who had been feeling ill for nearly two months.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Tell me exactly what he told you.”

She stared lovingly into his eyes, and then took his hand between hers and placed it on her belly.

“That’s what the maester told me, Gendry,” she said, her smile turning into a grin.

He felt like he had been hit by a hammer right in the head. His head was spinning, and he couldn’t even form a sentence, his mouth opening and closing several times with no sound coming from it, which made Arya burst into laughter.

“Gendry, are _you_ sure you’re okay?” she asked, laughing at his flabbergasted face.

Instead of replying, he pulled her to him and hugged her tight, and she hugged him too.

“I love you so much, Arya, so much… I never, _never_ in my life thought I would ever be so happy,” he whispered against her hair, before peppering kisses on her face and finally settling on her lips. “How long have you been with child?” he asked after breaking the kiss.

“I’m halfway through the fourth month, though I’m barely showing it. But you can feel it already,” she said, placing his hand again on her belly. It was definitely firm to the touch. “I don’t know how I didn’t notice before. The maester says I will start to show pretty soon.”

“Three months and a half… It was our first time, Arya.”

“It was,” she confirmed with a smile.

“Nymeria knew, didn’t she?” he asked, remembering the way the direwolf had licked and nudged Arya’s belly before leaving them.

“I think she did,” she said, and then he wrapped his arms around her again.

“I love you,” he whispered again.

“And I love you,” she whispered back, resting her head against his chest, and he was sure she could hear the wild beating of his heart and feel the sheer happiness radiating from him and that he knew it matched her own.

The prospect of starting a new life, leaving the old one – full of tragedy and unhappiness – behind, had excited him and scared him at the same time, but he had Arya by his side, and they were going to have a baby, and he was sure this child had come to bless their lives and heal all the wounds that still lingered in both their hearts.

And he couldn’t bring himself to feel scared anymore.

***** THE END *****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's it! Thank you to those who left kudos on this story, and thank you to asmyladycommands for taking the time to leave a review! :)  
> And sorry for such a cheesy ending, I was totally in the mood for some fluffy cheesiness! :P


End file.
